Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, Luke Part 3

008:004 And when a great crowd was a.s.sembling, and was receiving additions from one town after another, He spoke a parable to them.

008:005 "The sower," He said, "goes out to sow his seed; and as he sows, some of the seed falls by the way-side, and is trodden upon, or the birds of the air come and peck it up.

008:006 Another part drops upon the rock, and after growing up it withers away for want of moisture.

008:007 Another part falls among the thorns, and the thorns grow up with it and stifle it.

008:008 But some of the seed falls into good ground, and grows up and yields a return of a hundred for one." While thus speaking, He cried aloud and said, "Listen, every one who has ears to listen with!"

008:009 The disciples proceeded to ask Him what this parable meant.

008:010 "To you," He replied, "it is granted to know the secrets of the Kingdom of G.o.d; but all others are taught by parables, in order that they may see and yet not see, and may hear and yet not understand.

008:011 The meaning of the parable is as follows. The seed is G.o.d's Message.

008:012 Those by the way-side are those who have heard, and then the Devil comes and carries away the Message from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

008:013 Those on the rock are the people who on hearing the Message receive it joyfully; but they have no root: for a time they believe, but when trial comes they fall away.

008:014 That which fell among the thorns means those who have heard, but as they go on their way, the Message is stifled by the anxieties, wealth and gaieties of time, and they yield nothing in perfection.

008:015 But as for that in the good ground, it means those who, having listened to the Message with open minds and in a right spirit, hold it fast, and patiently yield a return.

008:016 "When any one lights a lamp, he does not cover it with a vessel or hide it under a couch; he puts it on a lampstand, that people who enter the room may see the light.

008:017 There is nothing hidden, which shall not be openly seen; nor anything secret, which shall not be known and come into the light of day.

008:018 Be careful, therefore, how you hear; for whoever has anything, to him more shall be given, and whoever has nothing, even that which he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

008:019 Then came to Him His mother and His brothers, but could not get near Him for the crowd.

008:020 But He was told, "Your mother and brothers are standing on the edge of the crowd, and want to see you."

008:021 "My mother and my brothers," He replied, "are these who hear G.o.d's Message and obey it."

008:022 One day He went on board a boat--both He and his disciples; and He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side of the Lake."

So they set sail.

002:023 During the pa.s.sage He fell asleep, and there came down a squall of wind on the Lake, so that the boat began to fill and they were in deadly peril.

008:024 So they came and woke Him, crying, "Rabbi, Rabbi, we are drowning."

Then He roused Himself and rebuked the wind and the surging of the water, and they ceased and there was a calm.

008:025 "Where is your faith?" He asked them. But they were filled with terror and amazement, and said to one another, "Who then is this? for He gives orders both to wind and waves, and they obey Him."

008:026 Then they put in to sh.o.r.e in the country of the Gerasenes, which lies opposite to Galilee.

008:027 Here, on landing, He was met by one of the townsmen who was possessed by demons--for a long time he had not put on any garment, nor did he live in a house, but in the tombs.

008:028 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and said in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of G.o.d Most High? Do not torture me, I beseech you."

008:029 For already He had been commanding the foul spirit to come out of the man. For many a time it had seized and held him, and they had repeatedly put him in chains and fetters and kept guard over him, but he used to break the chains to pieces, and, impelled by the demon, to escape into the Desert.

008:030 "What is your name?" Jesus asked him. "Legion," he replied-- because a great number of demons had entered into him; 008:031 and they besought Him not to command them to be gone into the Bottomless Pit.

008:032 Now there was a great herd of swine there feeding on the hill-side; and the demons begged Him to give them leave to go into them, and He gave them leave.

008:033 The demons came out of the man and left him, and entered into the swine; and the herd rushed violently over the cliff into the Lake and were drowned.

008:034 The swineherds, seeing what had happened, fled and reported it both in town and country; 008:035 whereupon the people came out to see what had happened.

They came to Jesus, and they found the man from whom the demons had gone out sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they were terrified.

008:036 And those who had seen it told them how the demoniac was cured.

008:037 Then the whole population of the Gerasenes and of the adjacent districts begged Him to depart from them; for their terror was great. So He went on board and returned.

008:038 But the man from whom the demons had gone out earnestly asked permission to go with Him; but He sent him away.

008:039 "Return home," He said, "and tell there all that G.o.d has done for you." So he went and published through the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.

008:040 Now when Jesus was returning, the people gave Him a warm welcome; for they had all been looking out for Him.

008:041 Just then there came a man named Jair, a Warden of the Synagogue, who threw himself at the feet of Jesus, and entreated Him to come to his house; 008:042 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. And as He went, the dense throng crowded on Him.

008:043 And a woman who for twelve years had been afflicted with haemorrhage-- and had spent on doctors all she had, but none of them had been able to cure her-- 008:044 came close behind Him and touched the ta.s.sel of His robe; and instantly her flow of blood stopped.

008:045 "Who is it touched me?" Jesus asked. And when all denied having done so, Peter and the rest said, "Rabbi, the crowds are hemming you in and pressing on you."

008:046 "Some one has touched me," Jesus replied, "for I feel that power has gone out from me."

008:047 Then the woman, perceiving that she had not escaped notice, came trembling, and throwing herself down at His feet she stated before all the people the reason why she had touched Him and how she was instantly cured.

008:048 "Daughter," said He, "your faith has cured you; go, and be at peace."

008:049 While He was still speaking, some one came to the Warden of the Synagogue from his house and said, "Your daughter is dead; trouble the Rabbi no further."

008:050 Jesus heard the words and said to him, "Have no fear.

Only believe, and she shall be restored to life."

008:051 So He came to the house, but allowed no one to go in with Him but Peter and John and James and the girl's father and mother.

008:052 The people were all weeping aloud and beating their b.r.e.a.s.t.s for her; but He said, "Leave off wailing; for she is not dead, but asleep."

008:053 And they jeered at Him, knowing that she was dead.

008:054 He, however, took her by the hand and called aloud, "Child, awake!"

008:055 And her spirit returned, and instantly she stood up; and He directed them to give her some food.

008:056 Her parents were astounded; but He forbad them to mention the matter to any one.

009:001 Then calling the Twelve together He conferred on them power and authority over all the demons and to cure diseases; 009:002 and sent them out to proclaim the Kingdom of G.o.d and to cure the sick.

009:003 And He commanded them, "Take nothing for your journey; neither stick nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have an extra under garment.

009:004 Whatever house you enter, make that your home, and from it start afresh.

009:005 Wherever they refuse to receive you, as you leave that town shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them."

009:006 So they departed and visited village after village, spreading the Good News and performing cures everywhere.

009:007 Now Herod the Tetrarch heard of all that was going on; and he was bewildered because of its being said by some that John had come back to life, 009:008 by others that Elijah had appeared, and by others that some one of the ancient Prophets had come back to life.

009:009 And Herod said, "John I have beheaded; but who is this, of whom I hear such reports?" And he sought for an opportunity of seeing Jesus.

009:010 The Apostles, on their return, related to Jesus all they had done.

Then He took them and withdrew to a quiet retreat, to a town called Bethsaida.

009:011 But the immense crowd, aware of this, followed Him; and receiving them kindly He proceeded to speak to them of the Kingdom of G.o.d, and those who needed to be restored to health, He cured.

009:012 Now when the day began to decline, the Twelve came to Him and said, "Send the people away, that they may go to the villages and farms round about and find lodging and a supply of food; because here we are in an uninhabited district."

009:013 "You yourselves," He said, "must give them food."

"We have nothing," they replied, "but five loaves and a couple of fish, unless indeed we were to go and buy provisions for all this host of people."

009:014 (For there were about 5,000 adult men.) But He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in parties of about fifty each."

009:015 They did so, making them all, without exception, sit down.

009:016 Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven He blessed them and broke them into portions which He gave to the disciples to distribute to the people.

009:017 So they ate and were fully satisfied, all of them; and what they had remaining over was gathered up, twelve baskets of fragments.

009:018 One day when He was praying by Himself the disciples were present; and He asked them, "Who do the people say that I am?"

009:019 "John the Baptist," they replied; "but others say Elijah; and others that some one of the ancient Prophets has come back to life."

009:020 "But you," He asked, "who do you say that I am?"

"G.o.d's Anointed One," replied Peter.

009:021 And Jesus strictly forbad them to tell this to any one; 009:022 and He said, "The Son of Man must suffer much cruelty, be rejected by the Elders and High Priests and Scribes, and be put to death, and on the third day be raised to life again."

009:023 And He said to all, "If any one is desirous of following me, let him ignore self and take up his cross day by day, and so be my follower.

009:024 For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake shall save it.

009:025 Why, what benefit is it to a man to have gained the whole world, but to have lost or forfeited his own self.

009:026 For whoever shall have been ashamed of me and my teachings, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own and the Father's glory and in that of the holy angels.

009:027 I tell you truly that there are some of those who stand here who will certainly not taste death till they have seen the Kingdom of G.o.d."

009:028 It was about eight days after this that Jesus, taking with Him Peter, John, and James, went up the mountain to pray.

009:029 And while He was praying the appearance of His face underwent a change, and His clothing became white and radiant.

009:030 And suddenly there were two men conversing with Him, who were Moses and Elijah.

009:031 They came in glory, and kept speaking about His death, which He was so soon to undergo in Jerusalem.

009:032 Now Peter and the others were weighed down with sleep; but, keeping themselves awake all through, they saw His glory, and the two men standing with Him.

009:033 And when they were preparing to depart from Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, we are thankful to you that we are here.

Let us put up three tents--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying.

009:034 But while he was thus speaking, there came a cloud which spread over them; and they were awe-struck when they had entered into the cloud.

009:035 Then there came a voice from within the cloud: "This is My Son, My Chosen One: listen to Him."

009:036 After this voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

They kept it to themselves, and said not a word to any one at that time about what they had seen.

009:037 On the following day, when they were come down from the mountain, a great crowd came to meet Him; 009:038 and a man from the crowd called out, "Rabbi, I beg you to pity my son, for he is my only child.

009:039 At times a spirit seizes him and he suddenly cries out.

It convulses him, and makes him foam at the mouth, and does not leave him till it has well-nigh covered him with bruises.

009:040 I entreated your disciples to expel the spirit, but they could not."

009:041 "O unbelieving and perverse generation!" replied Jesus; "how long shall I be with you and bear with you?

Bring your son here to me."

009:042 Now while the youth was coming, the spirit dashed him to the ground and cruelly convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the foul spirit, and cured the youth and gave him back to his father.

009:043 And all were awe-struck at the mighty power of G.o.d.

And while every one was expressing wonder at all that He was doing, He said to his disciples, 009:044 "As for you, store these my sayings in your memory; for, before long, the Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men."